Ribbon
by Miss Soupy
Summary: Little Naruto and little Sakura meet one day and Naruto receives a precious gift. Now watch how their relationship changes as years goes by. NaruSaku
1. Childhood

A/N: well I've had this little story sitting on my computer for awhile now and I thought I might as well post it! I wanted to try writing younger Sakura and Naruto, and give a reason sorta behind why Naruto might be so infatuated with Sakura from the beginning.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, cuz if I did Sakura and Naruto would be a couple already!

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Ribbon

Little Naruto stared wide eyed up into the colorfully decorated display window. There were so many interesting toys and gadgets that, he figured, could keep any kid entertained for ages.

Pressing his nose against the cool glass, he watched a toy train lazily chug around and around in a circle, his eyes following its movements until he made himself dizzy.

The bell attached to the shop door tinkled, and Naruto turned his bright blue eyes to his left to see who was coming out.

A small girl came out clutching a bag in one little hand. She had hair of the brightest pink Naruto had ever seen, and she wore a navy blue dress. Her face held a look of pure glee as she stood just outside the shop, and she peeked in her little bag and couldn't help but giggle.

Naruto guessed the girl had bought some amazing toy, and he was immediately curious as to what it might be.

"Ino-chan will be so jealous!"

The girl giggled again and closed her little bag securely before skipping away. She was so excited about her buy she didn't even notice the blonde haired boy watching her curiously.

Deciding this could be a fun game, Naruto eagerly followed after the girl, hoping to get a glimpse of what she had in her bag. He went from tree to bush to trashcan, to whatever he could hide behind, while the girl merrily skipped along, oblivious to her follower.

Naruto rested safely behind a park bench, peeking between the wooden bars, when his blue eyes widened in horror. The pink haired girl had hit an uneven stretch of road, and with a gasp of surprise she fell flat on her face. The impact of the fall had even jarred her precious bag from her grasp and it landed a few feet away, it contents still safely inside.

Scrambling to his feet, Naruto ran over to the girl.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked, squatting down beside her but careful not to get too close.

The girl, who seemed more shocked than actually hurt, pushed herself into a sitting position and looked sadly down at her dirty dress.

"Oh no, kaa-san will have to wash this again," she said sadly, trying to brush herself off the best she could.

Naruto was glad to see the girl seemed alright and that she didn't cry. Even if her dress was dirty, he still thought she looked cute, with her cheeks tinted slightly pink in embarrassment.

His happy thoughts were dashed however, for a frantic look made its way across the girls face and she began to search hurriedly for something. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked, but Naruto caught on quick.

Leaving her side for a moment, he went off a ways and picked her bag up off the ground. The girl, following his movement, brightened immediately and hurried over to him.

"My bag! You found it!" she cried, smiling gratefully at the blonde boy who blushed.

He wasn't used to getting attention like this, but he couldn't help but smile in return as he handed it back to her.

"I just bought it, and I didn't want it to get dirty. Good thing I kept it in the bag!"

"Yeah, that was pretty lucky," Naruto agreed, watching the girl as she looked into the bag, making sure her item was alright.

When she lifted her head, she noticed the boy's curious look and grinned.

"Would you like me to show you what it is?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Could you?" Naruto asked eagerly, his eyes hopeful.

The girl nodded and reached her hand in and pulled out her item and Naruto looked down at it in wonder. It wasn't any kind of fancy toy like he expected. Instead, it was a long orange silk ribbon. The girl seemed immensely proud of it, and Naruto thought it was a very beautiful ribbon, plus he liked the color a lot.

"Whoa…that's a nice ribbon," Naruto complimented, making the girl smile widely.

"Yeah! Look, it's even got my name on it," she said excitedly, turning the ribbon over and showing him the name 'Sakura' embroidered on the back in a blue color.

Naruto was delighted to see the cute girl even had a cute name.

"It'll look really good on you Sakura-chan. Why don't you put it on now?" Naruto suggested, a broad grin spreading over his face.

Sakura's smile faltered at the suggestion and her bright green eyes glanced around worriedly.

"I was going to wait until I got home so no one would see me," she said softly, her eyes downcast.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Why would you do that?"

Lifting her hands to rest against her forehead Sakura looked at Naruto sadly.

"I don't want anyone to see me without a ribbon because then they'll just make fun of my big forehead."

"Big forehead?" Naruto asked, genuinely confused, for he didn't see anything wrong with her forehead.

"Don't you think it's big?" Sakura asked in disbelief, lowering her hands.

Naruto scratched his head for a moment, tilting his head to the side to look in every angle, and then shook his head.

"You have a nice forehead," he said honestly, smiling so that his eyes scrunched up.

Sakura allowed a smile to once again grace her features and nodded.

"Alright, I'll put it on. Hold it while I take the other one out," she said, handing the ribbon over to him as she reached for the one she had on currently.

Naruto held the ribbon carefully, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. The material was so soft and smooth he couldn't help but rub it gently between his fingers.

When the girl held her previous ribbon in her hand, Naruto readied to hand her the new one but a shout stopped him.

"Look what we have here!" a jeering voice from nearby called.

Naruto and Sakura's heads whipped around to see a group of girls approaching. All of the girls had mean leering looks on their faces.

Sakura hastily put a hand up to her forehead as her cheeks heated up in embarrassment. This only caused the girls to laugh and close in around the two.

"Look, its Big Forehead and the Freak!" one of them called, pointing and the other girls began to laugh harder.

Naruto's face darkened angrily at the girls but when he looked over at Sakura, his heart dropped. She looked absolutely scared to death and she was trembling, her eyes were wide and fearful.

"She probably couldn't find anyone else who'd want to be friends with such a big forehead besides this freak!" another girl jeered, flicking Sakura's hands where she covered her forehead.

Naruto had had just about enough and was opening his mouth to tell the girls off when Sakura spoke.

"I don't know what you are talking about," her voice trembled at first but she went on stonily. "Why would I be friends with a big trouble maker? Just forget about him."

A hurt expression fell upon Naruto's face as he looked at Sakura, hoping it wasn't true what she had said.

Her look was angry and she waved at him with her hands.

"Just get out of here!"

Naruto hung his head, tears forming in his eyes and he quickly bounded away. He didn't stop running until he was safely in his room and had curled up in a corner, holding his knees to his chest tightly.

Even the cute pink haired girl had turned on him. Perhaps he truly was a freak like everyone said.

In his grief, he absentmindedly played with something he held in his hands. His thumb rubbed against a smooth material and looking down, his eyes widened to see he still held Sakura's orange ribbon in his hand.

His first thought was to keep it. Why bother returning it to someone who obviously detested him?

She had been so excited about the ribbon however, and she would certainly be sad if she didn't get it back. Wouldn't she have noticed he still had it in his hand and grabbed it away?

Voices from outside floated to Naruto's ears to perk up. His window was open so he could clearly hear people on the road below.

"Hey! Sakura! Where've you been?"

"Sorry I'm late Ino-chan."

Naruto's heart sped up as he recognized Sakura's voice. Scrambling over to the window, he peeked out at the road below to see Sakura talking to a blonde girl.

"You're all dirty, what happened to you?" the blonde girl asked, pulling at Sakura's muddied dress.

"Oh that... It's nothing; I tripped and fell on the road," Sakura explained, running her hands down her dress, embarrassed.

"Ha! Such a klutz Sakura," the girl laughed, cupping a hand over her mouth.

Sakura's face reddened more. "Hey! That's not funny!"

"Sorry Sakura, I couldn't help it. Anyways, let's see your new ribbon."

Sakura shook her head at that and let her small fingers comb through her bubblegum locks.

"What? You didn't get a ribbon?" the blonde girl asked, surprised.

"Someone else needed it more than me," was the pink haired girl's simple answer.

Naruto's eyes widened at her strange answer as he allowed his body to slide down to a sitting position under his window. The voices of the two girls became fainter as they wandered off until all was quiet again.

_What could Sakura-chan have meant by that?_ Naruto wondered to himself, playing with the silk ribbon in his hands.

As he thought, realization fell upon the boy and he smiled.

Sakura-chan had been driving him away, but for a different reason than he thought. She was trying to save him from the pain of being made fun of, something she knew all too well of.

No one had ever tried to help him out like that before, and Sakura had done it even when she herself was being called names. She had allowed Naruto, a boy she only knew by his trickster antics, to keep her precious ribbon. The ribbon was the only thing that kept the name calling at bay and drew attention from her forehead.

Taking the orange ribbon, Naruto tied it to his upper arm. He would always remember the cute pink haired girl who had allowed him to feel like a person, the girl who had stood up for him and allowed him to get away.

That day, Naruto made a vow. He promised he would do whatever it took to make sure no one had to go through the same pain he had been through. He would stand up for people, like Sakura, who were bullied. He wouldn't run from those people anymore. Most important of all, he would always stand up for the pink haired girl. She had given him a chance, and as her ribbon as his reminder, he would always protect her.

Until the day he died, he would do everything in his power to keep his Sakura-chan happy.

And whenever things grew tough, and he forgot his path, he would take out the delicate orange ribbon and remember all that he lived for.


	2. Academy Days

A/N: Because people enjoyed Ribbon so much, I decided to just continue it. The first chapter then was Naruto and Sakura meeting as children, so this chapter is about them meeting during their Academy days. It should be fun to write how their relationship changes as time goes by.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

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Naruto sat lazily with his head propped up against his hand staring unfocused at the back of the head of the student in front of him. Iruka-sensei was saying something and writing it down on the board but Naruto was distracted by the warm spring breeze coming in through the window he sat by. The cherry blossoms were in bloom, and the sweet smell tickled his nose and made his thoughts turn dreamy and decidedly pink.

There was only one person that would come to mind when he thought of cherry blossoms, and that was of course Haruno Sakura.

He hadn't forgotten her gift to him, though he would always wonder if she had. Any time he talked to her she would never act as if she remembered, but in all truth he really didn't get to talk to her often. He'd only see her in class, and of course class was spent on learning. If only they didn't have to learn on such a beautiful day.

Shifting his eyes, Naruto glanced to the side where Sakura sat listening intently to the lecture. He admired how good of a student she was; always able to pay attention even to the most boring topics. But even Sakura's attention would wonder, he knew. Every now and then, he would catch her eyes glancing away from Iruka to another corner of the room.

Frowning, the blonde boy turned to look at Iruka, though he still wasn't really listening. He didn't have to look to know where Sakura always glanced and his face scrunched up in a slight pout.

_Uchiha Sasuke, what's so great about him anyways?_ Naruto thought to himself.

Of course, Naruto knew somewhat what was so great about him. He was considered to be some kind of prodigy or something. How he had gotten that title Naruto couldn't be sure, but he had it and that caused many people to admire him.

But _he_ wouldn't be like that.

If that Uchiha kid wanted him to admire him, he'd have to prove himself. All Naruto saw in him was a brooding boy who didn't have much interest in anyone.

As if to emphasize this, Naruto frowned over to the boy while reaching in his pocket. His fingers twirled around an object lying within and he suddenly felt comforted.

_I'll work hard to get everyone to admire me! I don't need any special title. I'll show everyone by my skills!_ he thought proudly, his lips turning up into a determined grin while his blue eyes sparkled confidently.

Hit with a sudden bout of motivation, Naruto finally turned all of his attention to the front of the classroom where Iruka was speaking.

"…and that's how you tie an explosive tag to a kunai. Now I want everyone to practice your knots. Once you have successfully completed the knot and shown me, you can leave."

Naruto stared open mouthed as the students scrambled to get strings to begin practicing on.

_Oh no! I missed the whole demonstration! _Naruto worried to himself while feeling extremely unlucky.

Following the others, the blonde retrieved a string and returned to his seat. Staring helplessly down at the string in front of him, his mind searched frantically through his memory banks for an idea of what to do.

Coming up empty, a bead of sweat formed at his temple as he glanced around at the other students. Most of them were focused on their tasks of threading the strings through their kunai.

Deciding that was a good place to start, Naruto took out a kunai and mimicked their actions and threaded the string through the hole in the handle.

_Now what do I do? _

Looking around him once more, his eye's landed on Sakura who seemed to be doing a complicated pattern of loops and twists to her string. She had memorized Iruka-sensei's demonstration perfectly, and within no time she had completed the tie and raised her hand.

"I'm finished Iruka-sensei!" she called proudly, and waited for the man to come by and check her work.

"Good job Sakura, a perfect knot." Iruka complimented, causing the girl to beam happily at him.

As the man walked away to check with another student, Sakura was left to do as she pleased, which in her case meant she could gawk at Sasuke. She couldn't help but hold a glimmer of hope that he would need her help in tying the knot, but when she looked his way she saw he had also completed the task and was packing up to leave.

Her first thought was to try and catch up with him and attempt to coax him into a conversation with her, but then she thought better of it. The last time she had done that he had seemed rather cross with her, which she of course didn't want. If she wanted him to like her, she would have to stay on his good side, which meant _trying_ to give him his space, she supposed.

Sighing to herself, Sakura slowly began collecting her things together. Many of the students were getting up and leaving as well, having completed the task. Happening to chance a glance behind her, Sakura couldn't help but notice a worried Naruto eyeing his string and kunai.

"Arrgh, I have no idea how to do this! I wish Iruka-sensei wasn't so busy with other students so he could help me," Naruto whined, holding his head in frustration.

"Naruto! What are you doing?"

Startled, Naruto looked up to see an annoyed Sakura looking down at him.

"Sakura-chan, um, I was just-"

"Just doing it all wrong!" she huffed, examining his knot riddled string. "Didn't you see Iruka-sensei's demonstration?"

Naruto forced out an embarrassed laugh and Sakura shook her head, her long pink hair batting against her cheek.

"If you don't get this right we'll all have to continue practicing this tomorrow! Here, I'll show you how to do it so pay attention!"

Taking out a kunai, Sakura looked at the string Naruto had been using and bit her lip. "I can't use this…oh! This will work," she started, reaching for a ribbon that was trailing from Naruto's pocket.

"Ah…that's-" Naruto began, worried for his precious keepsake, but was cut off by a look from Sakura.

"Watch Naruto, you just take it and thread it through the eye," Sakura began, and Naruto watched intently as she did so. "Now you loop it around here three times and tuck the end in here and pull it tight. It's so easy!"

Naruto nodded in agreement as Sakura handed the kunai to him. "Aa, you're right! It was really easy after all. Thanks Sakura-chan!" He smiled brightly at the girl who flipped her hair back and returned his smile.

"Next time make sure you pay attention to Iruka-sensei!" she scolded and Naruto nodded sheepishly.

"I promise I will!" he vowed, giving her a thumbs up.

As Sakura turned to leaven, she hesitated for a moment and called back to him, "Oh, Naruto? That's a nice ribbon you have there."

With that, the pink haired girl bounded away leaving a blinking Naruto in her wake.

_Could it be she remembers…?_ he wondered curiously as he watched her go.

Naruto turned to look down at his ribbon with a smile on his face. But his elation was short lived when he noticed a problem.

"Gah! How am I supposed untie this!"


	3. Genin

A/N: Here is the third enstallment of Ribbon, and this takes place sometime before the final matches of the chuunin exam. Here we get a little exchange between Naruto and Sakura. By now Sakura was really starting to appreciate Naruto as her teammate, so I wanted to incorporate that feeling into this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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"Ahhhh!" Naruto yawned, stretching his arms to the sky before bringing them down to give his shoulders a good roll. "That perverted old man can sure be a slave driver. But at least I'm learning new things. At this rate I'll definitely beat that stuck up Hyuuga and Sasuke-teme!"

A wicked grin found its way onto Naruto's face as he imagined said victories over the two geniuses (which came as the image of him standing on a pile of unconscious bodies complete with swirly eyes while he made a victory sign).

From his stomach came a demanding growl which quickly reminded him of his mission to find something to eat. Of course Ichiraku ramen had been his number one choice, plus Jiraiya had given him a few coupons he had come across as a treat for keeping up with his training.

Nearing the bridge that was the usual meeting place for team 7, Naruto noticed a figure standing there looking into the water below.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called happily, waving as he ran over to where his teammate stood. At the sound of her name being called, Sakura had turned to look at him in surprise.

"Naruto?"

Grinning goofily the boy nodded. "Hey Sakura-chan! How are you? I haven't seen you for awhile."

Sakura frowned, her pink brows furrowing in her annoyance. "Um, I'm alright. Naruto, where have you been? You pretty much disappeared after the matches."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Gomene, Sakura-chan, but I've been training!"

"Training?" Sakura asked, her tone holding slight suspicion. Naruto's idea of training could be quite different from anyone else's.

"Yeah, it's a long story but Kakashi-sensei told the closet pervert to teach me but then I found this old man who was an even bigger pervert, but he was really strong so now he's teaching me." Putting a hand up to the side of his mouth Naruto added quietly, "He's really an ero-sennin, so watch out."

Sakura could only stare at her odd teammate. "Well I wish someone would tell me where everyone is," she sighed in the end, her eyes saddening which worried Naruto.

"I wanted to tell you, but Ero-sennin kept me really busy. Besides, I thought Kakashi-sensei would have told you or something!"

Sakura shook her head, her short pink hair brushing against her cheek. "I haven't seen Kakashi-sensei…or Sasuke-kun. Do you…do you know where they might be?"

Scratching his head thoughtfully Naruto guessed, "I think Kakashi-sensei is training Sasuke then. But don't worry, I'm sure they're fine!" he added, seeing her worried look.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Sakura agreed, looking back to Naruto as a strange expression passed over her face but was quickly gone.

Naruto watched as Sakura gave him a fake grin and began turning away. Feeling helpless but still wanting to do something for his worried teammate, an idea struck the blonde.

"Ne, ne Sakura-chan, I have some coupons here for ramen," Naruto exclaimed excitedly while reaching into his pocket to locate said coupons. "Would you like to-" he went on but stopped as when he not only brought out a handful of ramen tickets but an orange ribbon from the confines of his pocket.

Trying to sort out his handful of papers the ribbon slipped between his fingers. Hands full of paper, Naruto could only watch helplessly as his possession floated on the wind in the direction of the bridge railing.

"Ack!" he cried, seeing the watery destination of ribbon. But a hand darted out just in time and saved the fabric just in time and Naruto let out a relieved breath.

"Thanks Sakura-chan," he grinned as he finally collected his things together.

"Be more careful next time!" the pink haired girl lectured as she looked at her smiling teammate. But then her eyes fell on the orange ribbon she had saved and they softened. "It's just your color isn't it?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, well my favorite color _is_ orange." he replied confidently while Sakura just shook her head.

"You just like it because it's a color that is as loud as you are," Sakura smirked as she handed the ribbon back to its owner.

Pouting his lip, Naruto put the ribbon safely back into his pocket. "Ne, you went too far Sakura-chan," he complained and Sakura couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not always a bad thing though," Sakura went on, her eyes becoming more serious as she spoke. "You are who you are, right? At least you are comfortable with yourself. You don't always hide your feelings…"

Slightly surprised by Sakura's words Naruto tilted his head to the side as he thought. He hadn't missed the hidden meaning in her words; the fact that she was still worried about Sasuke. But he also knew she meant what she had said and he felt a tingling in his belly from her compliment.

"You're right," he grinned broadly at her and jabbed a thumb at himself. "I can only be what I am and nobody else."

When Sakura nodded and gave him a genuine smile, Naruto felt the tingling increase.

"You are who you are too, Sakura-chan, so you shouldn't worry either, ne?"

Sakura hesitated at this and Naruto saw disbelief in her emerald eyes.

Reaching up, Sakura fingered the strands of her short hair as she spoke, "I wonder if it's enough…"

"What do you mean? Of course it's enough! You're strong too, Sakura-chan, and an important member of team 7!"

Looking at the shortest member of her team, Sakura was suddenly struck with how different Naruto was now.

_Or perhaps, _she thought, her heart strangely tight, _this is just the first time I've noticed how wise he can be._

"Naruto," she spoke finally as the boy looked up at her with wide blue eyes. She furrowed her brows and brought a fist in front of her as her smile turned determined. "Make sure you try your best in your battles. Show everyone how strong team 7 is, ok?"

Naruto's expression turned to match her own as he promised her he would. "Will do! Heh, they won't know what hit 'em!"

"Good."

The two grinned wickedly at each other for a moment and then Sakura finally turned to walk away.

"See you at the match Naruto. I'll be cheering for you and Sasuke-kun," she called over her shoulder and continued up the path away from the blonde boy who waved in return.

He stood for a moment watching her go. If he had been worried about his upcoming matches he wasn't now. Now he only felt determination and confidence that he would win. He had promised Sakura after all, and he didn't know if he could stand himself if he ever let her down.

Clenching his fist he heard the crunch of papers and looked down to see his coupons still securely in his hand.

His face became pained as he howled, "I forgot to ask Sakura-chan out to ramen!"


	4. Interlude

Naruto really loved training; he loved being busy and learning new things, meeting new people and seeing amazing places. But he also loved that quiet time of night where only the soft chirping of crickets and the boisterous snores of Jiraiya as he dozed could be heard.

It was a time when the blonde haired boy could think.

Being constantly on the move, Naruto didn't have much time to just sit and contemplate. But some nights, when he wasn't too exhausted from his training, he took an extra deep breath and just let himself think.

First he'd think about all the new things he had learned that day, or the people he had met, or how perverted ero-sennin could be at times. And once he was done thinking about that, he would think about how it would be spring in Konoha now and how he missed the blooming cherry trees.

He would then think about how much he missed ramen and that he hoped Ichiraku wasn't out of business because he was gone, but then he would remember that Iruka-sensei would still visit.

He'd smile when he thought of all of the friends he had left in Konoha, and he'd make a silent promise to return as soon as he could.

Next he'd frown and remember his reason for being away from them. He'd think about Sasuke, and wonder if he was training too. He'd wonder if he had changed any, if he would recognize him if their paths crossed. He'd wonder if the darkness in his friend's heart had grown, and if there was any of the old Sasuke left. But then, his look would turn determined and it wouldn't matter.

Naruto was sure he could save him. He _had_ to.

The blonde would shake away the sorrow creeping into his heart and replace it with his own steadfast assurance that everything would be alright.

His thoughts turned lighter, because once he had thought about _everything else_, he would think about Sakura.

He thought about her last not because she was least important, quite the opposite actually. He thought of her last because she was the one he would think about the most. If he thought about her first, he would never get to think about anything else.

He'd wonder what she was doing at that moment. He'd wonder if she was lonely, if she was sad, if she was worried or scared. And then because he honestly didn't know any of those things, he would regret not being there.

He wondered if she was still heartbroken, or if she was putting the pieces back together. He knew she was working just as hard as he was because he would always see her as strong.

He missed her, Sasuke too of course, but really he knew he shouldn't because they were with him wherever he went.

They were there in every rasengan he created, there were there in every punch he threw, they were there at the tip of every kunai he used. They were there because his strength was for _them_.

But while Sasuke was the gloom that tugged at his gut, Sakura was the bright spot at the edge of his mind. Naruto had tucked his memories of her deep into his heart, because to him, three years was a long time and he didn't want to forget.

He was growing, he knew, though not quite fast enough for his liking. Now fourteen, his thoughts definitely weren't as innocent as they once had been, but who could blame the boy when he traveled with the most renowned pervert in the fire country?

Focusing on the night sky with its winking stars, Naruto released a dreamy sigh.

The expanse above him would fade and he'd grin as he pictured her in his mind, smiling at him with those bright green eyes and pink locks swaying gently.

It was how she would look in his dreams as well, on the rare occasion his dreams did not hold snakes, fangs, and red smoke.

He could see her smiling, though for what he couldn't be sure. Oddly, her hair was always short in his dreams, and sometimes she would finger it hesitantly, her green eyes losing some of their warmth. But then she would clench her hand defiantly and shake away whatever fear she held. It was then that he would notice her hand was not empty and that she held a familiar looking piece of fabric. At that point Naurto knew he _had _to know where it ended, had to know who held the opposite end. So he'd follow the orange looking thing from her hand as it stretched towards him. But always, right when he thought he knew, the dream would fade away into nothing.

He'd awaken, her smile still burning in his memory as his thumb, of its own accord, stroked the silk ribbon clenched in his fingers.

And then he'd wonder if she would ever smile at him that way, a real smile, one without any sadness or pain, and what would he do when she finally _did_?

Naruto turned onto his side, his hand sneaking into his pocket as he fingered his only physical connection to Sakura that he had. Maybe he would dream of Sakura tonight.

He wondered if she felt just as confused as he did, but then again, Sakura had always been the smart one.

Could she be angry with him for leaving? Did she miss him? Would she be happy when they met again?

The final thoughts trailed slowly through his mind as he closed his eyes and allowed his body to fully relax.

Without really knowing why, he felt he knew the answer to those questions.

---

Sakura smiled.

She was completely drained of chakra, and even putting on her own pajamas was almost too much effort for her to muster. Every muscle, every fiber of her being hurt, and her smile widened. This was progress; this was how she wanted to feel. She was growing, developing, getting stronger, and the longer she could keep a fish alive, the more cracks she made in a boulder, the more kunai hit their mark caused her spirits to fly even higher.

She was moving forward finally, and for once she could begin to feel pride in herself and confidence in her abilities.

_I'll keep my promise to you for sure, Naruto. I won't hold you back and together we can save Sasuke-kun._

Laying herself down onto her bed, Sakura yawned sleepily, her pink hair fanning out behind her on her pillow. It was hard not to feel lonely at times, being the only member of team 7 left. She missed the old days and yet she was glad things were different. It was strange how the past could hold such good memories and bad feelings at the same time, and more times than not she found herself confused over what she really did want.

She wanted Sasuke back, she knew, but she definitely did not want the old Sakura back, and sometimes she worried she could revert back to how she used to be. She couldn't let that happen; it wasn't fair to her and it wasn't fair to Naruto.

A small smile crept upon her face at the thought of the loud-mouth. With his constant goofing off, she wondered if he ever actually got any training done. But in her heart she had little doubt that he was improving quickly like she was. Somehow, with Sasuke's leaving, a strange bond had formed between herself and Naruto. It was unusual and confusing because she didn't quite know what it meant, but it was comforting to her.

Even though they were apart, they were both working towards the same thing, and somehow that made it seem like he wasn't really gone.

Sakura turned to lay her cheek against her pillow, pulling her covers up around her neck. Perhaps tonight she wouldn't dream of cursed seals, blood, and shadows. Perhaps tonight she would dream of welcoming her teammates back, the one where Naruto gave her a bone crushing hug and Sasuke allowed a small smile just for her.

---

_I want to make this dream a reality._

* * *

A/N: Finally! Sorry about the wait folks! (In case you are wondering that last thought was dually shared by Naruto and Sakura). /Ahem/ well, this was fun, so fun I almost forgot to include the ribbon. Hah, well, things are moving along for our heroes. Remember I'm trying to keep things as close to the real story as possible, so things can't move TOO quickly. Also, they are getting older, so there should be increased depth with their characters. Hopefully this little interlude before they meet again is enjoyable. 

Special thanks to Dasdeke for beta-ing!!

--Miss Soupy


	5. Chuunin

"Here're your orders," announced the old man who ran the ramen stand, as he placed two steaming bowls of ramen on the counter.

"Itadekimasu!" two voices said in unison, and with a familiar crack, two pairs of chopsticks were broken.

While one began inhaling their ramen, hunched over shoving the noodles in his mouth, the other ate a more natural pace, delicately enjoying the meal.

"It's…so…_good_!" Naruto managed to splutter out in between bites, several noodles caked to his lips. His breath smelled like miso to the disgust of his eating companion.

The corner of Sakura's eye twitched fractionally as she glanced at her teammate who was wriggling happily in his seat, but gave a short "Aa," in agreement before turning back to her own bowl.

Naruto looked over to where Sakura seemed to be glowering at her meal and smiled. Only a year before and Sakura would be busy reprimanding him about his eating habits instead of silently complaining like she was doing at the moment. It was a testament to how close the two had gotten, or at least that's how Naruto liked to look at it. He also found that it was nicer than being smacked around by the prodigy of the Sannin Tsunade.

"You know, it's been awhile since we ate together like this, Sakura-chan," Naruto said thoughtfully as Sakura looked up.

Sakura, feeling slightly surprised he had even paused to say something other than appraisal of the food, frowned at the boy. "What do you mean? We eat together all the time."

"Ah, well yeah but…" Naruto paused trying to explain, chewing on his lip as he considered his next words. "But that's always with the whole team. I mean," here the boy began fumbling with his chopsticks nervously as an odd grin crossed his face, "just the two of us. Like a d-d-"

Before the boy could finish however, Sakura silenced him with a bored wave. "We're shinobi. It's a given we have busy schedules, especially right now."

Shoulders slumping, Naruto dejectedly turned back to his mostly empty bowl of ramen.

_That was too harsh Sakura-chan…_

"Stop pouting," Sakura spoke without even looking at him. "You know we've both been busy. But don't we still make time to spend together?"

Naruto nodded slowly, his smile beginning to creep onto his face once more. Ever since he had returned two years ago, they had grown closer. Now that they were both chuunin, the two had developed strategies together, trained together, and looked out for each other however they could. They had been through a lot, seen terrible things and death, but their friendship could not be shaken.

Grin turning sheepish, Naruto glanced shyly over to his teammate. "Ne, Sakura-chan, maybe after this we could-"

"Hey Dickless, Hag, Hokage-sama wants to meet with us."

Hands clenching around his chopsticks, Naruto broke the pieces of wood in two as he spun around to yell at the intruder.

"Teme! Stop interrupting my time with Sakura-chan!" the blonde complained, launching himself at a blank looking Sai.

"Shisshou wants to see us?" Sakura asked, looking to Sai who was currently being held by his collar. Ignoring the blonde's complaints, the ink-nin turned his head to nod slowly at Sakura.

Reaching up, the kunoichi calmly grabbed the back of Naruto's jacket and pulled him away from his proposed strangulation. "Stop fooling around," Sakura reprimanded, giving the boy a good shake before releasing him as Sai's face took on a more amused look.

With one last grumble from Naruto, the three took of, leaping across the buildings of Konoha.

Falling back so that he was even with Naruto, Sai whispered, "I guess Sakura-san is the dominant person of your relationship, ne?"

Naruto, upon hearing the word 'relationship', nearly tripped on a shingle, and turned to give the ink-nin a dark look. "You've been reading again haven't you?"

The boy merely shrugged and offered Naruto a fake smile before speeding up to where Sakura was.

Naruto glowered at his back. _Stupid Sai always interrupting me…and what did he mean by dominant anyways?_

Blue eyes sweeping over pink hair and red uniform, Naruto contemplated what his current standing with his teammate really was. He knew how he felt, but he had no clue as to what was in her heart.

Well, perhaps he had a clue. Naruto's mouth drew out into a thin line as a vision of Sasuke entered his mind, the curse seal creeping up his skin, his eyes blood red from his sharingan.

It was possible she was still in love with him. But, his heart held out, it was also possible she didn't feel the same. Stubbornly, Naruto refused to broach the subject however, making it an unspoken rule never to ask. He didn't feel worthy, asking Sakura such a thing when he had failed to keep his promise.

So, they talked, they trained, he asked her out on dates, she accepted, but it never went beyond that.

_I'll bring Sasuke back, and then she can decide._

It was the decision his mind had made, even as his heart begged for more.

Naruto's only hope was that they had a breakthrough soon, for he didn't know how much longer he could stay in this stalemate.

When the three made it to Hokage Tower, they were met with a grim Tsunade, fretting Shizune, and slouching Kakashi.

"Hey baa-chan, what gives?" Naruto asked loudly as he stopped in front of her desk.

Tsunade's brow ticked fractionally as she regarded the blonde, and then looked at the others in the room. "We have finally tracked down Sasuke again. This was not easy, as you know, for he seems very intent on hiding his position. We believe he may be prepared to make his move."

Naruto and Sakura shared equally shocked faces as the new information sunk in. After nearly a year of searching, Sasuke had finally been found once again.

"Do the two of you understand the implications behind this?" Tsunade asked in a hard voice, her eyes shifting from Naruto to Sakura.

Immediately, Sakura looked to Naruto. His blue eyes were clouding slightly and he clenched his hands into fists and nodded.

"He's found them…_him_…"

Nodding, the hokage closed her eyes briefly, interlocking her hands together before her.

"We have reason to believe he is ready to confront Itachi, but where there is Itachi, there is the rest of the Akatsuki."

Inwardly, Sakura shivered. This was shaping up to be the most dangerous mission they had ever been assigned. Not only was there the danger they faced in confronting Sasuke and his team, but there was also the Akatsuki who would surely be on their heels when they learned of Naruto's presence.

Sakura's throat tightened as she realized this mission could easily take both Naruto's and Sasuke's lives if not handled correctly.

Really, it all seemed so impossible. Sakura went over the odds, putting her mathematical knowledge to good use, and every time she came up with nothing but death. In her head, Tsunade should not have assigned them this mission, not with Naruto being the Akatsuki's primary target.

Her heart however, understood Tsunade's gift, and her gamble.

If they did not go, Sasuke could be lost forever. This was their last chance.

"You will be sending a back up team then?" Kakashi asked from near the window, the only figure in the room that seemed calm.

Nodding shortly, Tsunade confirmed, "Team Gai will be your backup."

Sakura nodded, Sai shifted from foot to foot, but Naruto stood completely still, his eyebrows tensed and his face stony.

"I want to make it clear," Tsunade went on, her voice taking on a threatening edge, "You are not to confront the Akatsuki if it can be helped. Your mission is to retrieve Sasuke, and only Sasuke." Taking time to send a knowing look towards Kakashi she asked, "Understood?"

Sai, Sakura, and Naruto glanced over to Kakashi, each wondering if he would really comply or give some round about answer to get out of it.

"I would think, given the circumstances, the Akatsuki would be the _last_ organization we wish to confront," Kakashi said simply, his eye creasing up innocently.

For a moment, a staring contest seemed to befall the Hokage and the jounin. Sakura glanced nervously around, Sai kept his blank façade, while Naruto, shockingly, still had yet to move.

_Naruto should not be going_, Sakura's mind whispered quietly, but oh so truthfully. _But he would never allow himself to be left behind._

Slowly, Sakura moved to place her hand gently against Naruto's arm and gave it a squeeze. Naruto's head snapped in her direction, as if he hadn't really been there at all, and looked down to where her hand was placed on his arm. She offered him a smile that wasn't as strong as she would have liked, but was relieved when he allowed a small smile in return.

Seeing Naruto acting a bit more calmly, Sakura removed her hand and took the mission details envelope from Shizune as the woman passed one to each member of Team Kakashi.

"Read that over and meet back here at dawn. No exceptions." Giving one last threatening glance at Kakashi, Tsunade dismissed them.

As the four excited the building, Kakashi was the first to excuse himself.

Weighing his missions details in his hands, Kakashi turned and smiled behind his mask. "Well, I better take a look at this...seems like the hokage gave me a larger packet. See you tomorrow!" With a small wave the man poofed away.

"Th-that Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura fumed, upset that their leader had bailed out from discussing the mission. "He just wants to read his porn. Doesn't he realize how important this mission is?!"

Of course she knew he did. Perhaps it was the before-a-mission jitters, or just that they were going on perhaps the most important mission or their lives, but Sakura felt a migraine coming on fast.

Sai, as if sensing the turmoil of his female teammate, was next to excuse himself. "See you tomorrow Ha- er, Sakura-san, Naruto-kun." he said in the most polite voice he could muster before also disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"That Sai…I swear, if he calls me a hag one more time…" Sakura muttered to herself.

Suddenly remembering the now, apparently, mute Naruto, her eyes softened as she turned to him. His eyes were hidden by his bangs and Sakura's heart clenched.

"N-Naruto," she began, looking worriedly at the sullen boy.

It was so strange seeing him seem worried, for he was, even Sakura could admit, the heart of their team, the unbreakable corner stone. But of course he would be worried; the most fearful organization they knew was after him. And also, there was the weight of his promise to her still on his shoulders alone.

"_**Naruto I beg of you… Please bring him…please bring back Sasuke-kun!"**_

Echo's of the past whispered within Sakura's mind, multiplying the guilt she felt ten fold. Deep down, Sakura knew if anything happened to Naruto, it would be _her_ fault. Her fault for causing him to make that stupid promise.

"_**I will definitely bring back Sasuke! That's the promise of a lifetime!"**_

_I have to fix this._

"Naruto, don't worry. We'll save Sasuke together," the kunoichi began, trying to sound sure even while her hands trembled slightly. "Also I…I want to-"

She was stopped however by the sound of a low chuckling coming from the blonde.

Head snapping up, Naruto spoke so suddenly it made Sakura jump. "This is it Sakura-chan! Finally I'll bring Sasuke back!"

His face shown with such complete determination that Sakura instantly felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders. He was smiling at her with that dirt-eating grin of his and Sakura couldn't help but smile in return.

"I'll fulfill my promise and bring Sasuke back. Not matter what!"

It was then that Sakura faltered, her heart clenching tightly at his words. Her eyes widened as she watched the boy grab something up out of his pocket and move to leave.

"Naruto, wait!"

"See you tomorrow Sakura-chan!" the boy called absentmindedly, as his hands moved to secure something orange around his neck.

Sakura could only stare sadly at his retreating back, the wind soundlessly taking up the words she had so desperately wanted to say.

"_I want to relieve you of your promise."_

* * *

A/N: Well I'm finally back, after a long hiatus. Good ol' writers block /scowl/ Anyways, thank you for the lovely reviews, I hope you aren't too terribly mad for my taking so long /sweat/.

Thank you Dasdeke for beta-ing!!!

--Miss Soupy


	6. Jounin

He felt the rain before it started, the air around him condensing as beads of moisture formed at his temples before sliding down to his cheeks where it mingled with shed tears. He stood unmoving as the first drops fell, making plinking noises on the polished face of the stone before smearing down passed the engraved writing.

Blue eyes darkened by sorrow were drawn to a name etched delicately into the white stone, and he stared unblinkingly at it.

_Uchiha Sasuke_

A sob burned in his throat but he clenched his teeth, refusing to release it. Dark thoughts swirled in his mind, wickedly whispering his failures and sending empty promises that things could be made better. Naruto was no stranger to the call of his demon; he had heard it all before. He knew the choice he had, knew that it would be easy to give in, to stop feeling.

But he wouldn't, why he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was because even in his grief, he was still the boy who wanted to save _everyone_. But _wanting _would never be enough, not when the proof of his inability lay etched out before him.

Sasuke, his teammate, his brother, was dead, and Naruto, the outcast, the dead-last, had lived.

Strangely, as bad as it had been to him, it seemed that life was not willing to give him up just yet.

The sound of footsteps was heard, and Naruto's back straightened as he brought his body away from the stone to peer through the water streaming into his face. Sad blue eyes looked from the pink umbrella, down the small hand holding the handle, up creamy skin to rest upon two vivid green eyes.

"Naruto…"

"Sakura-chan."

Sakura's eyes widened at the raspy sound of his voice and the hollowed look to his eyes. She had never seen Naruto so distant, not in all of the years she had known him. But then she looked past the grief, past the heart ache, and saw something even more surprising.

Naruto had grown up.

Somehow, Naruto had crossed the division between childhood and adulthood, and she, one of, if not the, closest person to him had failed to notice it.

_He is no longer a boy_, she realized as she gazed into eyes that were deeper than she ever remembered them being. _He grew up._

The age old fear began to grip Sakura, and her hold on the umbrella's handle tightened. _Has Naruto left me behind as well?_

But then the calm he had mustered shattered, and the wisdom she had glimpsed vanished to be replaced by sorrow and despair, and immediately her fear was forgotten.

Naruto would _never_ leave her behind.

A pink umbrella fell uselessly to the ground and a moment later Naruto felt two thin, yet strong arms wrap around him as a warm cheek pressed into his neck.

"You should _never_ look so lost Naruto," she whispered fervently against him. "Never."

Naruto stood completely still as Sakura held him, the surprise masking part of his grief. Something within him told him this was all wrong, that it should be him holding Sakura, not the other way around. He should be offering her comfort and strength, but his arms would not move. He could not hold her because his _shame_ would not allow him to.

"I couldn't even-" he began, but was silenced as Sakura fisted his shirt in her hands and tugged.

"Don't you dare apologize Uzumaki Naruto!" Sakura told him, her eyes flashing dangerously as she looked up at him.

Naruto could only hold her furious gaze for a moment before he looked away. Sakura replied to this by fisting his shirt even tighter and pushing him back to look at her.

"If you start wishing it was you who had died, instead of him, I'll _never_ forgive you!"

He froze at that, her words striking so deep within him that they echoed out throughout his whole being. It felt as if his entire life had converged towards that one point, that one chance for him to decide what his future would hold.

Naruto thought back to earlier that day when Kakashi had come to the stone and spoken quietly to him of things he didn't understand.

"_You are not meant to be like me, Naruto." _

He supposed he could become like his teacher, living in the past with only his memories to keep him company. Memories and regret.

But, there would be no Sakura in that life, he realized. If he stayed behind, she would move on without him. After struggling for so long for comrades, a life without them would be a fate worse than death.

He was not alone anymore, and because of that he would move on, like Sakura, because she needed him still. Just like he needed her.

"I won't Sakura-chan," he whispered finally while looking into her eyes. "I promise."

For a moment Sakura just stared unblinkingly up at him. A gasp nearly escaped her lips at what she saw, for now Naruto's eyes shown with a wildness she rarely witnessed, and it caused her heart to beat frantically. It was the type of look that moved mountains, the look that made her truly believe he could do _anything_.

He was going to be alright, she realized, releasing a breath she hadn't known she was holding. He always managed to surprise her, and even when he was at his worst he would always manage to find himself again.

Sakura smiled at him, but silently her heart wondered, _Will he ever really need me?_

Sure, she healed him when he was injured, but it was usually nothing the Kyuubi couldn't handle, and there was always Tsunade.

_What could I ever offer him?_

Feeling the sting of tears, Sakura stubbornly blinked them away.

"Naruto, you're soaked. Let's get you home before you get sick. Shishou will kill me if you wind up in the hospital _again_."

Quickly turning away so Naruto wouldn't see the tears at the corner of her eyes, Sakura picked up her umbrella. She was wet, but not nearly as much as Naruto was, and with her chakra control she could easily warm herself if need be.

Holding the umbrella up so Naruto could fit underneath as well, Sakura was surprised when she felt his hand close around hers.

"Thanks Sakura-chan," he whispered, his lips tugging up in an odd smile.

Unsure if he was thanking her for the umbrella or something else entirely, Sakura let out an uneasy laugh before prodding him forward. "Let's get out of this weather already."

-----

Seconds after entering Naruto's apartment, Sakura marched the soaking boy to his bedroom to change. Disappearing into the bathroom for a moment, the kunoichi soon reappeared carrying a fluffy orange towel and a disgusted expression.

"I'm not even going to ask why there was a half eaten ramen container in the _bathroom_." she said with a shake of her head as Naruto paled.

_So that's where I left breakfast_, the blonde thought with a grimace as he made a mental note to try and _not_ leave ramen in embarrassing places, _especially_ if Sakura would be coming over to find said ramen.

Stopping before him, Sakura slung the towel over her shoulder and commanded, "Hands up!"

Thoroughly perplexed, Naruto blinked down at his teammate. "Wh-what?"

"You heard me, hands up!" she repeated, her eyes betraying none of the amusement she felt over Naruto's sudden shyness. Really, that boy could be such an idiot.

"B-but Sakura-chan…you…I can, ah!" Naruto spluttered, even as Sakura tugged impatiently at his wet shirt.

"Stop being so modest," Sakura ordered, her voice flat, "Its nothing I haven't seen before."

At that Naruto paused, a blush creeping onto his whiskered cheeks. Sakura _was_ a medic-nin after all, and she had seen him without a shirt many times before. But in his defense, she had never offered to _undress_ him.

Looking very much like a scolded child, Naruto raised his arms and bent over slightly so Sakura could tug his shirt up and over his head.

Seeing his pout, Sakura retaliated by throwing the towel at his face. "Now give me your pants and I'll go put your clothes up to dry."

"But-"

"_Naruto_."

As quickly as he could, Naruto took off his pants and handed them over to Sakura, who immediately turned and left to hang them up in the bathroom. After the boy had changed into dry clothes, Sakura appeared once more and pointed to his bed. "Time for bed, you really do look exhausted."

As if to further prove her point, Naruto broke out into a jaw breaking yawn. Knowing that arguing would get him no where, Naruto immediately obeyed, crawling into bed as Sakura pulled the covers over him.

"Ah, thanks Sakura-chan," he said, yawning again before looking gratefully up at her.

"Mm, its nothing," the girl replied, dragging a chair over for her to sit on.

For a moment the two were silent as Naruto watched Sakura through sleepy eyes and Sakura stared at some point on the wall. Naruto wondered what she could be thinking about, but then his fatigued mind was running too slowly for him to come up with any possible ideas.

It wasn't until Naruto's breathing slowed and she knew he was asleep that Sakura looked down at him.

"We're going to be alright Naruto," she whispered to him, sliding a hand over his covers and giving them a pat.

Sakura sat by his bed for a time, absentmindedly playing with a piece of fabric she had found on the bedside table. Her heart felt weary, but it had only been a few days since they had buried Sasuke, and her grief was understandable. But, in a way, Sasuke had been buried for many years already. Now it was simply more official.

Everything that had been done up to a few days ago, had been to move towards saving Sasuke. And now…there was no Sasuke to save. It seemed so surreal. Now she could make decisions for herself, instead of for someone else.

Silently, Sakura moved to look at the team 7 picture that sat on top of Naruto's dresser, and then to the mirror that sat propped up beside it.

Sakura blinked, surprised at what she saw. The image blinking back at her was not the same naïve teenager she remembered, but instead a strong woman, a shinobi at jounin level, who was confident in her position. Even in her own jade irises, she saw a depth she hadn't remembered seeing a year ago.

_I guess Naruto isn't the only one who has grown up._

Sending a small smile to herself in the mirror, Sakura glanced down at the item held in her hand. On an impulse, she brought the material up and tied her hair in the fashion she had when she was a child. Turning her head side to side, Sakura admired herself for a moment, bringing her hand up to smooth down her pink hair as she looked.

_That's what my hair looked like?_ she thought with a frown. _I'm glad I got over that phase._

Pulling the ribbon to let her hair fall down to its natural position, Sakura stole a glance over at the slumbering Naruto. Quietly, she moved to the side of the bed, and with the grace of a true ninja, tied the ribbon around the sleeping boy's wrist without waking him. Then, leaning over him, she gave his forehead a quick kiss.

Silently padding back towards the hall, Sakura flipped off the light.

_Every day we are given a new chance, and tomorrow will be no different. We can't live in the past…it's time to move on._

* * *

A/N: Just so everyone knows time wise, this chapter takes place a year after the previous one. It felt pretty good to kill off Sasuke, I must say, but I'm not such a hater that I didn't give him a proper conclusion. Well not much more for me to say, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Only two more chapters to go :) 

--Miss Soupy


	7. ANBU

When Naruto made ANBU, he and Sakura had hit the bar in celebration of his success and promptly got hammered. In between the alcohol and shouts of "Next, Hokage!" he remembered Sakura laughing beside him, her eyes droopy and her smile crooked.

At one point he knew he had yelled, "If only Teme could see me now!"

That was when Sakura's smile had faltered, and his had too as he realized what he had said. Neither of them had been drunk enough for his slightly slurred words to mean nothing, and as if to remedy that fact they ordered another round of drinks.

Just so they could forget…

And they had, as laughter and whispers and touches all blurred into darkness and the next thing Naruto knew, he was waking up in his bed. But something was wrong. He felt warm, _too_ warm, and then _something, _or more importantly _someone,_ was moving on the bed next to him.

Suddenly, Naruto just knew. He knew her smell, her presence, better than anyone.

Realizing what he had done, Naruto did the only thing he could think of: he fled. Silently moving out of his bed, he haphazardly threw on some clothes and left his apartment. He had to distance himself from his room where his teammate and best friend lay snug and naked in his bed. To the top of the Hokage monument he went, and there he sat and brooded and cursed himself and his stupidity.

---

When Sakura had awoken, she had taken a moment to ponder what exactly had happened to her. Finding her nakedness, being in Naruto's bed, and the massive headache all major hints, she had quickly come to a realization.

After looking around Naruto's apartment with no sign of the blonde, she feared the worst and quickly got dressed to go in search of the boy. Of course she had a good idea of where he would be, and the small orange dot sitting atop the Fourth's head was an indication she had been correct.

"Baka…" Sakura uttered under her breath as she began the ascent to the top. Her only consolation in having to make such a trip was that he was probably feeling horrible at the moment.

But that was his fault too.

"Naruto," she began gently as she approached where the blonde sat hunched over looking out over Konoha. He didn't reply, but she thought the muscles in his back tensing had indicated he accepted her company, so she moved to sit next to him.

Even though his face was half hidden by his arms, Sakura could tell he was frowning. Leaning closer to his face she saw his cheek move a fraction, an indication that he was also grinding his teeth.

_He is _really_ angry with himself…_

She really wasn't that surprised. Sakura knew he cherished her above most, and she honestly could say the same about him. But this didn't give him the right to just assume things.

"Don't be like that," Sakura scolded, reaching around to begin rubbing his back soothingly.

Naruto, who moved so that his face was completely hidden against his knees, grunted in reply, even as his back arched into Sakura's hand.

Beginning to feel a bit annoyed with his depressed behavior, Sakura grabbed his shirt collar and pulled his head up.

Looking directly into his eyes she told him softly, "I'm not mad you know."

Naruto stared back at her for a moment before shaking his head and casting his eyes away. "You should be."

Sakura's reply was a roll of her eyes. "I'm _not_, Naruto." she told him, her fingertips playing with the sleeve of his shirt. "Why would I be?"

Immediately Naruto's head snapped back in her direction, his expression a mix of anguish and disbelief. "Why?! I-I took advantage of you when I was drunk, Sakura-Chan! I-I--"

"Deflowered me?" Sakura supplied, her mouth twitching up into a smirk as all the color drained from her friends face.

As Naruto's face headed back into his knees Sakura reached out and jerked him back up.

"I'm _fine_ Naruto. You can stop pouting and blaming yourself."

"But its-its practically _rape_!" Naruto replied, his tone horrified at the very thought, and if his face could get any paler Sakura was quite sure he would faint.

"You didn't rape me!" Sakura snapped, jabbing his shoulder with her finger. "Stop being such an idiot. We were _both_ drunk. It's just as much my fault as yours."

"That doesn't make it right! I should have controlled myself…" Naruto finished, his usually bright blue eyes clouded over.

Sakura watched her teammate for a moment before sighing wearily. He never made things easy for her.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Sakura pulled the stubborn blonde close to her as she spoke. "I'm a kunoichi, Naruto. If I hadn't lost my virginity with you, it might have happened with someone else, maybe on a mission, maybe by an enemy. That's why I'm glad my first time could be with someone I trust, you know?"

Naruto was still for a moment as he thought about what she said, and then bright blue eyes finally turned to her as a pair of arms encircled her waist.

"I would never let that happen to you during a mission," Naruto mumbled into her neck and Sakura smiled as she felt his hold tightening as if to assure her of it.

"Even you can't be everywhere Naruto. You're ANBU now. You have other missions to worry about."

Stiffening, Naruto realized the truth of her words, and for the first time he regretted his position.

Pulling back to look at her he said, "I shouldn't have joined ANBU then. You come first-"

"Baka," Sakura admonished as she flicked him on the forehead. "I'm the top medic-nin next to Tsunade. I don't receive that many dangerous missions as it is so stop worrying."

Releasing Sakura so he could rub his forehead Naruto complained, "But Sakura-Chan!"

And just like that, the tension was lifted, and the two eased back into the familiarity they knew well. But even as Sakura watched Naruto rub the darkening red spot, she felt something inside her heart soften. Of all the people she could have gone home drunk with it had been with him, the right one. She felt relieved and scared and anxious all at once, but she didn't dare show him that. Not when he was starting to act normal again.

Not when she didn't even know what it meant.

Feeling confident that Naruto was going to be alright, Sakura stood and stretched, while hoping the throbbing in her head would ease soon. She felt it would be cheating to use her chakra to get rid of the ache.

"Ah, Sakura-Chan?" Naruto called hesitantly, stopping her from leaving.

"What?"

"Um…you-I mean could I…could you become-"

Raising a questioning eyebrow at the bumbling blonde, Sakura finally was hit with understanding.

"Don't worry, I'm protected," Sakura winked and departed, leaving Naruto to fall over on his back with an exhausted sigh.

Moving his hand to his collar bone, Naruto delicately touched the orange ribbon that hung loosely around his neck.

_She's not mad…_ Naruto thought with a small smile as his hands then moved up to hold his head. _Now if only I could remember it!_

Naruto closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

…_Damn._

* * *

A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews everyone! This chapter is shorter than the others, but I really feel I said all that needs to be said at this stage. Now we just need to see how everything comes together in the end, ne? Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

--Miss Soupy


	8. Hokage

Rokudaime Uzumaki Naruto sat leaned back in his official Hokage chair with the appearance of one who was completely relaxed. Truthfully, however, he was feeling quite the opposite. It was only a week into his reign as Hokage and he was already feeling anxious and unsettled.

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, his hand patted a pocket on his Hokage robes before moving to sweep nervously through his spiky golden locks.

_This is ridiculous! Argh, I can't get any thinking done in this stuffy office_, he grumbled to himself, and without hesitation he leapt out of his open window and sprang out into the night.

He just needed to think for awhile, and there was only one place in which he wanted to do it. Settling himself down on the head of a previous Hokage (the 4th's was his favorite to perch on, but Tsunade's wasn't so bad either), Naruto looked out at the beautiful view from the Hokage Monument. Just sitting up there with the cool night breeze was making him feel better and he felt his nerves begin to calm.

He knew he should have been happy. He had gotten the position he had coveted since he was little. His dream had finally come true, and yet…

Rolling his shoulders, Naruto attempted to loosen the tight muscles when he heard a voice call up to him.

"Naruto?"

Leaning over, Naruto saw Sakura standing below, looking up at him with a quizzical expression on her face.

"Sakura-Chan?" he questioned, but in a puff of smoke the girl was gone. The sweet smell of strawberries found Naruto's nose, indicating the presence of the girl who now stood directly beside him.

"Naruto, what are you doing up here?" she asked, her hands placed authoritatively on her hips as she looked down at him.

Turning his head to the side, Naruto regarded the girl with a sheepish grin. "Ne, ne Sakura-Chan, I could ask the same of you."

Caught of guard, Sakura blinked and crossed her arms. "You weren't in your office so I figured you'd be out here." she stated smugly and Naruto chuckled.

"You know me too well."

"Mhmm," Sakura agreed, moving to sit down next to him. The two sat shoulder to shoulder looking out over the village of Konoha, each nursing their own thoughts.

As the silent moment stretched on, Sakura grew worried. "Naruto? Is something wrong?"

Naruto winced at the note of worry he heard in her voice. He hadn't meant to upset her; it was the last thing he'd ever wanted to do to her.

"No, I just…needed to think, and I seem to do a better job of it sitting up here," he said offhandedly, trying to ease Sakura's worry.

It didn't quite produce the effect he had wanted, for Sakura then frowned and asked, "What did you want to think about?"

"Ah…It's noth-"

"Naruto," Sakura cut in, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "You aren't worrying about being Hokage again are you? Everyone believes you will be a wonderful Hokage! You shouldn't worry so much."

Seeing the determined and completely honest look on Sakura's face Naruto broke out into a wide grin.

"Thanks Sakura-Chan," he said softly at first, but then laughed. "But this time I'm not even thinking of anything Hokage related."

An eyebrow raised at this new confession as the pink haired girl looked at Naruto with a mix of confusion and wonder. Standing abruptly, Naruto idly kicked a rock while Sakura's eyes never left him. He could feel them at his back and it was enough to make his heart rate increase and his palms sweat.

Sakura meanwhile couldn't help her growing worry at Naruto's odd behavior. He had always been so open with her, but now he seemed so completely off limits, and it scared her. Frantically, Sakura began listing all of her friends she knew were on missions, thinking that maybe something bad had happened.

"We've come a long way, haven't we Sakura-chan?" Naruto spoke, startling Sakura who shakily stood and approached him. He turned and smiled at her, but she noted it was forced and so very fake and it made her heart shudder.

Reaching out, Sakura placed a hand on his arm. "Naruto, wha-" she began, but stopped when she felt Naruto's arm flinch at her touch. She drew back quickly, as if he had been fire, and her eyes clouded with anger and hurt.

Seeing the pain flash through her eyes Naruto immediately realized his mistake. But Sakura was already withdrawing, a mumbled "Sorry" on her lips. Catching her arm, he pulled her back to him turning a deaf ear to her protests.

"Please don't go Sakura-chan," he whispered into her hair. Surprisingly she remained, allowing her body to relax against him. For a moment the two just stood like that, Naruto breathing gently against her forehead and Sakura's hands fisting into his robes.

When Sakura spoke, it was with a hesitant voice, "Did I do something to offend you?"

She felt a rumbling in his chest that sounded oddly like a chuckle, and looked up to see him grinning down at her.

"You know, you worry too much Sakura-chan."

Immediately her lips tugged down in a frown and a delicate pink brow ticked in annoyance. "Naruto no baka, it's _your_ fault I have to worry so much." Pulling away, she pointed a finger in the direction of her forehead and said, "You are giving me wrinkles!"

Naruto's grin only widened. "Are you sure? I don't see anything."

Scowling, she moved closer and pointed again while Naruto tipped his head down for his own inspection.

"Ne, Sakura-Chan, I don't see any-…oh wait, what's this?" Believing he had actually found one, Sakura's expression turned horrified, but then warm lips were pressed against her skin briefly before Naruto pulled away with a grin.

"Your forehead is perfect, just like I thought."

At that, Sakura had blushed and mentally cursed herself because of it. This was _Naruto_. Sure he could be sly, but never to the point where she became so flustered around him. But really, hadn't things changed?

She thought back to the day Naruto had been made Hokage, to the look of pure happiness that had shown on his face. It had been an expression she thought she'd like to see every day. Yet the smile he wore now, the smile he wore for _her_, was so much more than that. While the other was a smile she liked to see, this, this was a smile she _needed_ to see.

Looking back at Naruto, she saw him fiddling with something in his pocket and looking at spot on the ground. "You know when you are young, and you have one of those significant moments that determine what decisions you make later on?"

Cocking her head to the side, Sakura frowned thoughtfully. "You mean, like when we were in the Forest of Death?"

He thought for a moment, remembering back to the time Sakura had cut her hair and then shook his head. "Close, but I'm thinking even before that, even before academy."

Naruto looked at her with a small smile, while she continued to look quizzical. She didn't really like to think about her childhood, if she could help it. If she thought on it too much, she could still hear the laughter of the other children and their little grubby hands as they hit her forehead.

"Neither of us had the best of childhoods, did we?" she murmured, remembering who he was and what he was known for. She had no trouble realizing no matter how bad she had had it, he had always been worse off.

It was a thought that made her want to demolish a mountain, or if there were no mountains at hand, to pull him close until the past could be safely forgotten once more. Yet she stayed still, because this time it seemed he had something important he needed to say, and she would be patient.

Seeing the girls face begin to turn stormy, Naruto gave a half hearted laugh and scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I guess not, but there were good moments too! Important ones..."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and prodded, "Like what?"

For a moment the man hesitated, his hand trailing into his pocket, his eyes wider than usual as he looked at her. He had felt his mouth immediately dry at her words, but when his hands had brushed the box in his pocket, he somehow found the courage to continue.

"There is a moment I think a lot about…it was the first time someone had ever stood up for me. It was important to me because it gave me a goal and one of the first promises in life I wanted to keep." Pulling a long rectangular box from his pocket, he went on, "I never got to thank this person, but I never forgot what they did, and I've tried the best I could to keep my promises to them."

Naruto looked up from the box he held to Sakura's shocked expression. "Sakura-Chan…I don't know if you remember but…" slowly, he opened the lid of the box and held it out for her to see.

She stared wide eyed down at an orange ribbon, but then something glinted and caught her eye and she saw the ribbon was threaded through a gold ring. It was a simple band, with three small diamonds set into it. It was the only type of ring a ninja could afford to wear, not large, not flashy, but still very beautiful.

After what seemed like hours, Sakura dragged her eyesight back up to his face and uttered a breathless, "N-Naruto?"

"You gave me this ribbon. It was a long time ago, you probably don't remember," he rambled, his nervousness returning as Sakura continued to stare at him with a shocked expression. "I know it doesn't seem like much, but it meant a lot to me at the time…and still does really."

He had seemed to forget all about the glittering piece of gold attached to the ribbon and Sakura could only shake her head in aggravation.

"I remember," she said at last, feeling helpless and anxious all at once. He looked at her, surprised, and she explained, "I hadn't really realized it was you until later…I think I saw it at your apartment once, or maybe it was around your neck? Oh, I can't remember!"

Now Naruto was the stunned one and replied, "You never said anything!"

Giving a sheepish shrug of her shoulders, Sakura defended, "I didn't know what to say, and I gave it to you so it's not like I would ask for it back." Then, suddenly feeling curious, she asked, "Did it really mean that much to you?"

"Of course," he admitted, his eyes softening. "I've kept it close ever since that day."

"Baka, what a silly thing to do," she said, giggling in spite of herself. He was endearing really, without ever trying to be, but that's what made him so lovable. Naruto smiled at her like the goof that he was until Sakura prompted, "So now what are you doing with it?"

At that his face fell and he looked down at the ribbon and then up at Sakura again. "Er, I thought I'd give it back to you and…give you something extra?"

"Is that right?" she deadpanned, trying desperately not to roll her eyes at him. He was _trying_, she knew, but did he have to be dense_ now_?

Taking the ribbon-necklace concoction out of the box, Naruto moved towards her. "Here, Sakura-Chan, I'll help you tie it around your neck-"

"Oh no you will not!" she exclaimed, motioning for him to stop with a wave of her arms.

He stilled mid-stride and looked at her with a stunned expression. "Wha?!"

Crossing her arms, Sakura stood her ground, green eyes flashing stubbornly. "If this is what I think it is, I'm not about to let you half-ass a proposal!"

"You…wha…how'd you know?" the blonde stuttered, his blue eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

"I know you better than anyone, Naruto," was her reply, her mouth lifting into a smirk. "It all makes sense now! Why you've been avoiding me…you know you can always go to me if something is bothering you, but this time you couldn't because _I_ was the problem."

"Er…"

"Am I wrong?"

Letting out a sigh, Naruto admitted, "No…"

"Thought not."

He was still holding the item out to her, hoping she would accept it, not quite sure what he would do if she didn't.

"Sakura-Chan...you're not mad, are you?" he tried, still confused as she made no move towards him.

"Baka! I'm not mad…yet," she added warningly. "I'm waiting for you to get it together." Turning on her heel, she faced away from him and shot over her shoulder, "Just tell me when you are ready."

Naruto studied her back for a moment and then took a deep breath. He was scared, probably more so than he had ever been before, but she hadn't rejected him yet and he took that as a good sign. When he had bought the ring, he hadn't been sure how he wanted to give it to her. Well, in his heart he knew what he wanted, but he was afraid of what she might think. So he had made a compromise, by adding the ribbon, and hoping she understood how much it meant to him, and she could wear it until the day came when he was sure she would accept. If that day ever did come, that is…

But her reaction had surprised him and somehow, he supposed, she had understood his thought process and hadn't been too happy with his plan. Now she was giving him another chance, one he would not mess up. He couldn't afford to; this was something his whole life had been building up to.

He was Hokage, he had a village to look after, but, when he was looking out for everyone else who would look out for him? Naruto needed Sakura, but somehow, without him realizing it, he already had her.

The Rokudaime lowered himself, finally finding the courage that was always there ready to be called on.

"Haruno Sakura," he spoke, his voice strong and unwavering, his eyes reflecting his resolve.

Sakura turned to find a completely different person than before. This was no longer the nervous confused Naruto she had met with, but instead the leader of Konoha, the Rokudaime, keeper of the Kyuubi, and the strongest man that she knew. Even more, he had humbled himself before her as he knelt on one knee, his way of saying she would come first.

Then as suddenly as Naruto had changed, so did Sakura. She was no longer the tough shinobi who carefully masked her emotions. Suddenly she was just a girl, tears welling in her eyes and fingers trembling at her sides.

"I made a promise, years ago, that I would always protect you and make sure you were happy, and I hope you might be happy with me, Sakura-chan." Gently he reached out and surrounded her hand with his. "Will you mar-…oof!"

The tense moment that had been slowly building up was suddenly broken as Naruto found a sobbing Sakura flung at him.

"S-Sakura-chan! Um, I think you missed the punch line," he chuckled, holding the girl with one arm while making sure not to drop the ring. Sakura, who had her face nestled against a shoulder, curled her fingers into his jacket and mumbled something.

"Eh? What was that?"

Pulling away, Sakura rubbed her eyes, feeling embarrassed and thrilled all at once. She looked up to where Naruto was seated on the ground, his Hokage robes jumbled, and then thought about how she must look and just laughed. Soon Naruto had joined her as the two tried to pick themselves up. Once standing, Sakura moved to fix his robes as Naruto reached over to smooth down her hair. They made an odd pair, she knew, but it worked, even before they had realized it.

The girl who had been teased endlessly and the boy who was shunned smiled at each other. The girl whose forehead may or may not have been overly sized held out her hand and the boy who may or may not have been a demon took it. A ring was slid onto a finger, a tear slid down a cheek, but two smiles remained.

Naruto drew her in and leaned down until their noses touched. "I take it that was a yes."

"You took long enough asking." Sakura's green eyes flickered with humor as her lips curled up.

Naruto kissed her nose and replied, "A Hokage can't just rush into things, Sakura-chan."

With a roll of her eyes, Sakura pulled his face down to meet hers. "When do you ever take your time?"

"Hm, good point…"

Sakura smiled as their lips met, one hand moving to thread itself in spiky blonde hair as she felt Naruto's hand cup the back of her head.

The moment that had been waiting to happen ever since two hearts touched all those years ago finally came into motion, while the ribbon that had connected the two remained forgotten in a pocket.

Sometime later, when Naruto found it again, he offered it to Sakura. "It was yours to begin with; you just kind of lent it to me."

She had smiled, green eyes twinkling and shook her head. "It's yours Naruto," she said, curling his fingers around the orange fabric once more. "So even when I'm not around you will remember we have this special connection."

And he had kept it, the reminder of his promise and of that fateful day when two children found an everlasting kindredship in each other.

* * *

A/N:Sniffs: I can't believe something I wrote almost made me cry! This was written while listening to a lot of very old romantic music..thus the extra sugary coated fluff. Ah well, its done and I'm happy with it, even if it might cause a minor stomach ache. 

Special thanks to Dasdeke for sticking with me and betaing this chapter for me. Thanks for always cheering me on!

Hm, not much more to say here, so hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!

--Miss Soupy


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